I Refuse!
by spectre666
Summary: First day of high school and things are not good.  My entry to the GWA.  I decided this wasn't quite finished, Chapter 2 now up.
1. Chapter 1

I Refuse

I.

"Sit down, Ron," Meg Possible smiled at her daughter's best friend, "I fixed extra for you this morning." She placed a plate of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon in front of the grinning boy.

"Thanks, Mrs. P., always enjoy your cooking."

"Kimmy will be down in just a moment, she has the pre school jitters this morning."

The thought of his best friend being nervous about anything made Ron momentarily forget the steaming food in front of him. "Kim nervous? But KP doesn't get nervous, I do." He stared at Mrs. Dr. Possible with utter disbelief.

The Dr. patted Ron on the shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, Ron, it's nothing important, just a little something she has to do from now on. Now eat your breakfast." She turned, walking toward the ladder leading to Kim's room. Reaching the first rung, she paused, "Kimmie, Ron's here. Are you ready?"

"Not going."

Mrs. P. walked halfway up the stairs, her head and shoulders disappearing as she climbed. "Young lady, get dressed and get down here. You are going to school."

"No, I'm not!"

"Kim!" Meg gritted in frustration, "just get dressed and get ready. Either you dress yourself or I"ll dress you."

"MOM!"

The closing hatch ended Ron's unintentional eavesdropping. "Kim seems really upset," he thought, "I wonder what that's all about. Oh well, gotta have a good breakfast to face a problem that upsets KP this much." He turned to his plate with anticipation.

"BURP!"

"Rufus!" His second best friend, a naked mole rat, lay on his plate, belly bulging, eyes closed in repletion. "Now what am I supposed to have?"

Rufus opened one eye, reached with a tiny paw, and offered the rubber chew toy the vet had recommended Ron buy.

"Oh, thanks a lot." Ron's stomach growled in frustration, "Listen, we have got to come to an understanding about..." Ron's lecture came to an abrupt end as Kim's hatch slammed open and she stormed down the ladder.

"Fine, mom, make a fool of me on my first day as a freshman at high school. Thanks a whole bunch."

"Kimmie, it's not that bad." Mrs. Possible's calm, slightly amused voice came from behind her. Her mother followed more sedately. "I'm sure lots of girls..."

Kim glared back at her mother. "I'm glad you think it's funny." Her gaze pinned Ron. "Are you ready."

"Well, actually, KP..."

"Good, let's go." Kim snatched her best friends jersey by the shoulder and dragged him out the door, barely allowing him enough time to snatch up the somnolent body of his pet.

II.

After three blocks of attempting to stroll to school, and having to jog to catch up to the stomping gait of his friend, Ron came to a hard decision. Whatever had Kim this tweaked, he had to know. As bad as he knew her red headed temper to be, better he catch the blast than some innocent stranger, or worse, teacher at school.

"KP," he began hesitantly,"you wanna tell me what's wrong?"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon KP, yesterday you were all amped up about starting school and trying out for the cheer leading squad, and today you're..."

"I'm what?"

"Majorly tweaked."

Kim never slowed down as she cut her eyes to glare at her best friend. "I am not tweaked!" She growled.

"Riiight, and I'm not hungry." Ron laughed, "Talk to me, KP, if you've got a problem I'm here to help. That's what best friends are for, right?"

The glare softened, "You can't help with this."

"How do you know? I mean, really, I can come up with good ideas."

Kim continued to walk, her gaze turning skeptical. "Like what?"

"I don't know."

"That's what I thought."

"But how can I know if you won't tell me what the problem is? I mean you liked my other idea."

Kim's brows rose questioningly.

"Last year, at the fair, remember?" Ron sighed at her blank look, "When I put marshmallows on your hot dog. You loved it."

"One, you were green from the spinning top, and dropped the marshmallows you were eating on my hot dog. Two, if I hadn't been watching the knife thrower I would have seen what you'd done and never eaten it."

"Well, see, see! That just proves I can do good things."

"Ron, it was an accident, you didn't plan it. And besides, I may like those, but you got sick and bolted for the men's room when you tried a bite."

"Wouldn't have happened if I hadn't already had eight chili cheese dogs with onions and sauerkraut, plus two turns on the spinning cars." Ron maintained. "So, gonna tell me what the problem is?"

"There is no problem!"

"Kim, Kim, Kim, isn't this where we came in at?"

Kim growled again, her temper beginning to rise at his persistence.

"So, problem?"

Kim suddenly stopped and whirled, "Fine, you want to know what the problem is? Do you really?"

'Y...y...yeah, after all... I...uh..."

"Fine, turn your back and keep watch." Kim stepped behind some bushes and waved her finger in a circular motion at Ron.

"Ok, if it's that bad." Ron turned and began surveying the street. "Exactly what am I watching out for?"

"People."

"Oh, right, I knew that." Ron kept his back turned, but the rustle of clothing reached his ears. "Ah, KP, watcha doin'?" He quavered.

"You wanted to know what the problem was," Kim's hand grasped his shoulder turning him around, "here is the problem." She slapped a folded piece of soft fabric in his hand.

Ron glanced at his hand. "What's all the fuss about? It's just a..." His brain caught up with his eyes. "b...b...ba...ba...ba..."

"It's a bra, Ron." Kim rolled her shoulders in freedom. "Mom insists I start wearing one."

"B..b...bu...bu.."

"They said not to bring back packs our first day, until we find out how many books we'll have," Kim glanced down at he top and jeans, "so I don't have any place to carry it. But those big pockets of yours will work just fine."

"K...K...Ki...ba..."

"Pwetty pwease?" Her lower lip pouted out, quivering, her eyes looking tearful and lost."

"O..of...of co...sure, KP." Ron finally managed.

"Great, " Kim hugged his arm in glee. "Then, before I go home, we'll stop by the tree house and I'll put it back on. Mom'll never know."

Almost dancing, Kim grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him down the street, "Come on, Ronnie, we don't want to be late."

III.

Still holding hands, the two burst through the doors of the high school, to come to a screeching stop at the obstacle before them.

"My name is Mr. Barkin, I am the assistant principle of this establishment. I enforce the rules." The large man growled, leaning over to get in both their faces. "And rule number one, there will be no running in my halls, understand."

"Yes, sir, we understand. I'm Kim Possible and this is Ron Stoppable." Kim replied firmly. "No running in the halls, and you're in charge."

"And what about you, Stoppable?" Mr. Barkin snarled, "Do you understand?"

Ron looked up at the tall man, his hand in his pocket, a faraway look in his eyes, and a small goofy grin on his lips. "Huh..."

"Get to class."

"Yes, sir. Come on, Ron." Kim dragged Ron away from the menacing figure. "Ron you have to pay attention, we're in high school now." She lectured as they hurried down the hall to their home room.

"Trouble," Barkin growled as he watched the pair walk away, "that boy is going to be nothing but trouble. I can tell from the look in his eye." He moved to halt another miscreant. "Stoppable, I'll be watching you."

IV.

Sitting in the tree house, waiting for Kim to arrive, Ron vacillated between fear and fascination. The garment in his hands had rested in his pocket all day, soothing his fingertips whenever he forgot and reached in that pocket. The soft silky feel had inoculated him against the teasing and put downs he had received from the seniors and that one girl, Bonnie. In fact, he didn't remember much of the day at all.

Then the fascination would be replaced by fear. When Kim saw what had happened, he was so dead.

"Rufus, I told you to leave it alone."

Rufus turned his back, sulking, "Hinc..mine!"

"No, it is not yours," Ron took a deep steadying breath, "and when Kim sees what happened she is gonna be so tweaked. I oughta tell her.."

"Ought to tell me what?"

"Ahhhhhhh..." Ron whirled to stare at the hatch, "Kim, ah...KP..." He drew a shuddering breath. "Don't do that!"

Kim climbed into the sanctum giggling, "Why, have you got a guilty conscience?" Then her eyes narrowed as she stared at Ron's hands. "Ron, why are you playing with that?"

Ron glanced at his hands, his mouth dropped and his face turned the color of Kim's hair. "NO! Not playing...ah.. I mean I..." his hands went behind his back.

"Give it here."

"Kim, I ... you really don't ..I mean..."

"Ron, quit stalling and hand it over, I have to get home."

"KP, really I..." His shoulders slumped. "Here." His head lowered in defeat.

The silence stretched for a moment, then two, then three...then "Ron," Kim whispered, "why are there holes, and why is a strap broken?"

"KP I..."

"And why are there chili finger prints on the cups?"

"Now, KP, are you going to believe what I tell you or what you think you see?"

"RON!"

"It wasn't me, it was Rufus!" Ron cowered, "He thought it was a new nest."

Rufus' eyes popped wide at this betrayal. Giving a loud raspberry to his pet, the mole rat scampered out a hole in the side of the building.

"You let that...that...that naked mole rat use my bra as a nest?" Kim's voice began as a whisper and ended as a roar. "**You let Rufus make a nest out of my...my..."** Her voice failed her.

Taking courage from the sudden silence Ron defended himself, "Come on, KP, it was an accident. I kept forgetting to put it in a different pocket, that's all."

"You've been fondling my...my...my bra all day?" Kim said softly.

"Well, not really 'fondling', I just liked the feel that's all. And besides, Kim, it wasn't much of a bra anyway, I mean, I always thought those things had cups and wires and...and...things."

"It's a training bra, Ron." Kim gritted.

Oblivious to his growing peril, Ron continued, "A 'training' bra? I mean why would you have to train a bra? Doesn't that take a lot of time if you have more than one?"

"Ron?" Kim's voice quivered. "Ron, look at me."

Ron raised his head to stare into emerald eyes, "Yeah, KP?"

"You don't train the bra."

Ron's puzzlement was honest. "No? Then what do you train?"

Kim's Irish exploded, "You train these, all right! **These**!" She jerked her shirt to her chin.

Ron fell out of the tree house.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I.

"**NO! NO, no, no, no, no!"**'

**"YES!"**

The hands planted in the middle of Ron Stoppable's back pushed him inexorably forward, despite the promised traction of his new gym shoes. He knew this was not a good idea, he knew this was oh so wrong, but his best friend, his bestest friend in the whole world, insisted he do this thing. After the glorious (and unexpected) sight he had seen in their tree house, his mind had gone off line. The only indications his mind was in hibernation, rather than shut down completely, were the wide eyes and silly, awed smile on his face. Fortunately, the department they were headed for sent a surge through his synapses, causing a rapid and much needed reboot.

"Kim, please, I can't go in there. It isn't right. This is...this is..."

"The Junior Miss's section, so what? This is where Mom bought it, and this is where you're going to replace it."

"But, Kim" Ron fought desperately, "Those things prob'ly cost hundreds of dollars, and I don't have any money."

"Yes, you do. We haven't been to Bueno Nacho yet, so you can just use your snack money."

How could his warm, loving, always there for him friend sound so cold? Denying him his snackage? That was just inhuman! "But Kim, what about Rufus?"

"What about the little rat?"

"You'd deny a growing animal it's nutrition?"

"He's had all the treats he's going to get for today." The redhead growled.

At the word 'treats', Rufus woke up and popped his head out of his pocket home. "Cheese?" He squeaked hopefully.

"No cheese!" Kim snapped.

"Sorry, little buddy, but if I have to do this, it's coming out of your cheese budget." Ron explained.

With a litany of words Ron didn't know yet, or at least was sure his mother didn't want him to know yet, Rufus disappeared back into his pocket, pulling the flap closed. "See, Kim, you hurt his feelings."

"That's not all that's gonna be hurt if my mom finds out about this, now get in there." With a final massive shove, Kim pushed Ron into the department.

Ron turned his head for one last pleading glance, "But, Kim..."

Her pointing hand and blazing eyes showed no mercy. "Just ask a sales lady for help. I can't be seen in case she talks to Mom." And with those words of encouragement, she hurried away.

His reluctant feet slowly carried Ron into the bastion of male fears and fantasies, his mind looping her advice. Then the bulb exploded, "_SALES LADY! ASK A S..S...SALES...L...L...LADY? I...I...can't...I..."_ With great speed, and no finesse, he attempted a quick about face. Unfortunately, his natural grace chose that moment to appear, his right leg hooked his left ankle, and down he went, crashing to the floor at the feet of...A Sale's Lady!

Kim sat in the food court, attempting to soothe her guilty conscience with a smoothy. "_Ron can do this, I know he can. Maybe I was a little rough on him, but he so deserved it for what he did. All I asked him to do was hide it for me, I didn't tell him to...to..." _"Is it really Ron's fault though? I mean, he didn't chew holes in your bra, Rufus did. And Rufus is just an animal, a gross one, true, but still just an animal." "_Yeah, about that, what was he thinking to put my bra in the same pocket as a naked mole rat? He knew I was going to have to wear it later! Ewwwwwww!" _"So he didn't think, what were YOU thinking of to give it to him in the first place? Especially knowing Ron." _"Ok, maybe it's partly my fault, but that still doesn't explain the chili cheese fingerprints." _"Do you really want to know what Ron puts in his pockets?" _"Ah, no, on second thought..." _"Right, don't even go there." "_So I guess this is partially, a little, my fault." "_And you left Ron in a place he's terrified of because..." "_All right, all right, this is a lot my fault, and I shouldn't have made him buy it. The money, yes, at least some, but the other...I guess I'll have to.._

"Kimmie! What are you doing here? You should be home."

"M...Mom?"

"You know your father and I don't like you coming to the mall without permission. Especially alone."

"I...I...I'm ah, not alone."

"Really? Who are you with?" Mrs. Dr. P. frowned, arms crossed on her chest, one elegantly clad shoe tapping.

"R...Ron."

"And where is Ron?"

"He...aw...he...he..."

That's when they heard the screams.

"Young man, are you all right?"

"_If I just keep my eyes closed and crawl, I can make it to the door."_

"Young man...Ronald? Ronald Stoppable, is that you?"

Ron slowly raised his eyes to the amused eyes of the sales lady.

"M...Mrs. Kapinsky?"

Mrs. Kapinsky reached down with one strong arm and lifted Ron to his feet. "Ronald, what are you doing here? And why are you on the floor?"

Still being held on his toes, Ron attempted to explain, "I...I...I..."

"_If I tell her, Mom will know before I get home! And if I don't tell her Mom will know I was in the girl's underwear section before I get home! Oy!"_

_"_Ronald?"

"I..I got lost, yep, you know me Mrs. K., got lost."

"Ronald, how can you get lost when you haven't even got out of sight of the door?" Mrs. K' shook her head in amusement, "Never mind, tell me what you need and maybe I can help."

"NO...ah...no thanks Mrs. K., I'll just look around."

"In the girl's lingerie? Ronald, is there something you're not telling your mother?" Mrs. Kapinsky's eyebrows rose. "Because I think she really needs to know about this."

Ron's slender shoulders slumped in surrender. "Okay, Mrs. K., you got me. If you promise not to tell..."

"Ronald?"

"A...a good friend of mine was complaining about having to wear a...a training...b...bra, and..and...I was just curious as to what all the fuss was about." Ron looked up at his mother's friend and neighbor with what he hoped was an innocent and trustful face.

Before he could decide if she was buying it Mrs. Kapinsky was hailed by two girls. Ron's eyes widened as two lovely girls, two senior girls, two...

"Excuse me a moment, Ronald. Connie, Lonnie, have you been assigned a department yet?"

"No, ma'am. We were told to stay with you for the next four hours and you'd show us this department."

Mrs. Kapinsky glanced at Ron, then returned her attention to the girls, "Well, it's kind of quiet today, so..." She noticed a man waving to her, "Mr. Snyder needs to talk to me, so why don't you two help Ronald? He would probably enjoy the assistance of two young ladies more than mine." She smiled at Ron, "These girls will help you, Ronald, but be sure to check with me before you leave."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Kapinsky hurried toward her manager, but as she vanished from sight, the smiles vanished from the faces of the two teenagers.

"As if it isn't bad enough Dad insisted we get a part time job, we have to deal with losers like this one." Connie sneered.

Lonnie walked around Ron, her arms folded, glaring at him. "Too true, sister, if we had to, ugh, work, why couldn't Dad let us get a job at a trendy place?"

"He said we needed to meet" Connie made air quotes, "regular people."

"Yeah, regular people like this loser." Lonnie laughed.

"So, loser," both turned to glare down at Ron," what are you doing in the girls department?"

"Nothin'." Ron mumbled.

The two girls advanced, forcing Ron back between the displays. "Nothing? As if, probably wanted to peek at what his little girl friends have under their clothes." Lonnie spat malevolently.

Connie stepped closer, "And it looks like he's been shoplifting too."

"What?" Both Lonnie and Ron gasped.

"Look at his pocket," Connie sneered, "He's most likely swiped something he can fondle at night."

"I think you're right," Lonnie giggled, "C'mon pervert, let's see what you're hiding."

"No," Ron managed, "I'm not stealing and you've got no right.."

Both girls got right in Ron's face, "Come on, loser, show us, or we'll call the store detective.

"Show us!" "Now!"

Ron wilted, reaching into his pocket, "O...Okay."

"Quick, here comes Mrs. Kapinsky, show us." Both girls chorused.

Ron pulled his hand from his pocket. Unfortunately, Rufus really liked his soft, comfortable new nest, and his grip was very, very strong.

Kim and Ron sat on the Stoppable couch, trying to hear what their parents, and Mrs. Kapinsky were saying in the other room. The close door prevented all but a few noises from reaching them.

"I am so sorry, KP, if I had just told..."

"No, Ron," Kim reached and held his hand firmly, "It's my fault. If I hadn't tried to lie to Mom, and hadn't made you..."

"Not your fault, KP, I just messed up, that's all. I just hope the mom's don't separate us. I don't know if I could..."

"Not gonna happen, Ron." Kim pulled him into a warm hug. "Best friends forever, nothing is going to change that, ever."

"But what if..." Ron never finished his conjecture as a shout of laughter came from the kitchen.

"Laughing? Was that the dad's laughing?"

"I think so..." Kim hesitated, "but what..."

Mrs Possible and Mrs. Stoppable came through the doors before she could finish.

"Ron," Mrs. Stoppable began, "Your father and I have decided that as punishment for scaring Mrs. Kapinsky, you will do her yard for the next two weeks. And as further punishment, you will clean out the garage this weekend."

Kim jumped up, "I'll help him, this is..."

"All your fault?" Mrs. Possible interrupted. "Not all your fault, Kim, but don't worry, your punishment will keep you busy, too."

Kim squirmed, "What do I have to do?"

Before Mrs. Possible could explain, the kitchen door opened again as Mr. Possible and Mr. Stoppable came into the room.

His face stern, his voice raised, Mr. Possible began, "Kimberly Anne Possible, I cannot believe you..." His voice broke, his lips twitched, his complexion reddened and he whirled to return to the kitchen. Mr. Stoppable's eyes twinkled as he fought for control, jamming with his friend in the kitchen door. Through the closing door the Kim and Ron heard their Dad's guffawing loudly.

The two women looked at each other in mutual husbandly disgust, before turning back to their children.

"All right, Kim, just help Ronald. Your also grounded for a week." She walked toward the kitchen.

"And you will do a good job, Ronald, along with your grounding." Mrs. Stoppable said sternly, before following her friend.

Through the shutting door, the two friends heard two feminine giggles join the masculine roars.

Turning to each other in shock, the two friends began, "Well..."

"Yeah, well..."

_Epilogue:_

_Rufus loved his new nest. And that nice Mr. Possible had even snuck him a large wedge of aged cheddar. Life was good._


End file.
